Cover for loose-leaf binders and method of making the same



Sept; 23, 1930.

C'. D. TRUSSELL COVER FOR LOOSE LEAF BINDERS AND HETHOD OP' MAKING THE SAME Filed June 21, 192s INVENTOR By'ltomeys, 'QMWMM LM vboards 'and a lining fabric applied to the in-m y ner face-of the sides ofthe (cover to form a y neatfinish.; VvWhensuch Covers are used for Pateifited Sept'. 23, 1930 f f]fUNITEDJSTATESPATENT AOFFICE y CLARENCE D. TRSSELL, F POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO TRUSSEL MANUFACTURING rNEW YORK COMPANY, 0F POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, A CORIOIR/ATIONY OF GOVERNOR; Loose-'LEAF niNnnasA-Nn METHOD on MAKING THE SAME Application led June 21,

This inveiition'relates tov the manufacture ofcovers for ringbooks or similar temporary binders, the covers being of the built-up or Acomposite type.y This type of cover is constructedY generally .after the method long y used in making book covers by binders, that is toisay, there is an outer covering fabric VWhich extends over the backand sides ofthe cover, the sides beingstiffened byl boards cemented tothe `covering, fabric, the latter being-turned in around the edges ofthe loose-leaffbooks it is common to vemploy .a

curved metalxplateWhich'is fastened to, or

built into, thefbackof the cover, so as to stiden it, and whichl also y,forms the founda-k .tion forthe splitk ring loose-leaf bindingV mechanism. i

. i TheV presentV invention aims to yfacilitate the manufacture of such book covers by vsinifi i) Y plifying the process so as lto save labor; and it also aims to produce Va' more perfect and ystronger cover of greater durability.

, ylnA the making ofsuch composite covers for ring books, it has heretofore been customary to :apply one or more binding strips Of suitably tough fabric as a means for anchoring the metal back plate of the book ,to the back of the .eover,usually by confining the pla-te betweensuch strip and the outer covering, and gluingthe edgesor 'flaps of the strip to the cover sides.v An example of such constructionis found in my Patent No. 959,182, dated May 24, 1910. Y y

According tothe present invention a fabric binding strip is'employed, but it is glued directlyto the outer covering 'along the back ofthe book, and its flaps are notglued to the sides of the book, butare free andare turned over upon the inner or upper side of the metal back plate after the cover has been `Acovers flat'in compact stacks.

Vsubstantiallycompleted andthe back plate isv fitted thereto. Heretofore the curved metal b'ack-platehas been glued'to the back 'at the time of Vforming the coveigwhich preeluded rolling down the layers or piling` the The present invention enablesthecovers to be substansertioii of the back 1928.A Serial No. 287,334.

tially` completed and rolledilat and stored in flat stacks, before the rounded back plates are attached. The process of manufacture and the advantages of this construction of vcover Will be hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying draivings,-

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing the cover partially comple-ted, and before the inplate, the lining being partly turned back.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section approximate- .-Fig. 5 is a plan of one endportion of the.

binding strip.

Referring to the drawings, a designates the covering `fabric which covers the entire exten ior of the book cover and is also folded over the edges ofthe side boards and the ends o-f the back in the manner usually practised in making book covers; b I) are the side boards for stitlening the sides of the cover; c o are the cover linings; and cl is the binding strip.

To construct the cover, the covering fabric ,a is 4cut to a size sufficiently larger than the dimensions of thek completed cover When laid open flat, to afford suitable margins for turning in around the edges ofthe side boards.

his covering fabric, Which may be of leather` or woven fabric, or any suitable material, then has a coating of adhesive (glue) `applied toits inner surface', preferably by running it through a gluing machine. Being then laid down flat with its glued face uppermost, the binding strip cl is applied to the gluecoate'd surface of the middle or baekportion of the covering fabric. This strip is first cut to proper size and its corners e e are cut out, as vshown in Fig. 5, and its lateral iiaps cl are folded inward, but leaving the tongue or end flap /fbetween the cut-out portions c e unfolded. The middle portion of the binding strip is thus glued fast to the covering fabric, While its flaps are left free. The stiffening `boards are then ylaid ontothe glue-coated i .es

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surface (Figs. 2, 3, @of the covering fab-` ric in such positions as to correctly locate the sides of the cover and leave sufficient space between thein for the book back and for theA fieXib-le Zones which constitute the hinffe v nw t o n 4 v C l portions. ihe projecting inarginal edges of the covering fabric are then turned in upon Lthe outer edges of the stitfeiiing boards, and

in so doingthe ends f' ofthe bindingstiip Vwhich have been ceinentet to the covering fabric, 'are turned iii. ln this condition the unfinished cover issubjected to pressure to unite the ceinented surfaces and is put away to dry or partially dry. The pressure is best applied by running it between rollers, preferably elastic rollers, such as a ivringei; 'and to` hold the'covers flat during drying they are best placed between sheets of bindersE lboard and held under pressure b y ineans of a Weight or by being placed ina press.

The, linings c c, having been cut topi'oper size, have adhesive applied to their back surfaces, preferablyby running theni through a gluing machine. The linings are then ap'- plied to the sides of the cover, so that they cov-v I er over theY turned-in portions of the enter covering andconceal the stiftening beards.

Their inner edges also overlie and are ceineiitboards as before.

Y.When the cover thus inade has been properly seasoned, it is ready for tlie'insertion ofthe nietal back plate, lettered i., Preparatory to this, the flaps g of the binding strip are opened out and the end fla-p, jZ at one end is turned outward after iistcutting slits t' z' 'throughtheinturned covering fabric, so that Vthe, intervening portion of covering fabric,

forining a flap (Fig. l), and which is ccinented tothe end flap f, is turned outward.v This is done at one end only, so as to leavethe rother end as aclosed pocket. The backV plate 7i is then introduced at an angle, as shoivii in dotted lines at /i in Fig. 3, so that' one end is inserted" into the end pocket in the binding strip at one end,v `and byholding bent Voutward the flaps j, y, at the other end, the back plate'is carried down and ii'iserted Within these'aps, which are then turned inward to confine'it asshoivn in Fig. S. To facilitate this'ope ation the back plate is n'iade seine- What shorter than the book bach'. Theoperatorthen, by ineans of a brush, will coat the .inner sidesof the flaps d and also the end flaps/",With glue, andivill turn tlieindo plate; In Vthis operation the book back is curved to lconforin to the' shape of the inetal plate,.ras shown in Fig. l., It is 'hen necessary to subject the cover topressure tohol'd `it in shape until su'liiciently dry; and forthis purpose the cover may be laid u pena supporting surface which is concave'd along the book back so as to confo-rin to the ,exterior shape Vof the back of the boch, and ra similarlycurved 'piece'is' laid on theinner oru'pper side to hold doivn the flaps While theglue is setting, which inay be done by placinga suitable iveight on the back portion ofthe cover.

It is customary yto forinthe'back plate 7i with uptuined ears or tongues la, which,

When Vthebacl plate is inserted, project up betweengthe innerer 'a Jroachinoqedges of `the fiaps d. It is also customary to apply `inner concaved inetal plate m, shown in 'cross-section in Fig. t, to the .inner sideof the book back, thisl plate serving as the base or foundation of the bindinginechanisin` of the ring book oifother forni ofloose-leaf binder.

The plate m has the usual slots to receive the tongues 7:, and when it has been fitted-:closely against the inner side of the book back the tongues 7a are turneddoivn and'clinched fast to hold the inetalp'la'tem securely in position.

t results from' V'this constriictionfthat the aps'd with their attached portions of Ythe -f inner edgesy `of the lining, are clai'nped. faust` v between thextwo metall plates, whereby' vany disturbance of the position ofthe ffaps'is pre-v fy vented`,even ifthe; glue or other cenient used shouldfailto' hold: I n Y The proportions arey such "that outside of the .rounded stiffened baelrportion '.tl'ni's Vrorined, and bet-Ween this and the inner edges kof the stifening boardsl b, there is lleft a space.y or zone g 'on each side which 1s torined by the outerA fabrice and the innerlining o alone, so thatitv is quite flexible to servev as a hinge be-r tween the bach and side. Y 'V Heretofore the method of inalingcoinposite bool; coversof the'character to which the present relates, thatY has been inost'generally practiced, was to coat the inner surface vof the outer covering material with glue, lay

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the ii'ietal. back plate alongthe i'nid'dlie thereof,

lay on the side heart s properly spaced, and

Y then turn in theedges of the covering fabric all around, so that'these,turnedfin edges Lare turned over the 'lends of 'the binding' plate; then the linings are glued on covering the inner surfaces of the. cover sides, 'and in seine lll) instances covering over the concave face' of Y the` curved iiietal plate, While in lother cases they linings are in tivo pieces Which'in'ay overlap the inet-al plate or inay/not quite nie'et along its middle.V This meth-od of construction has the disadvantage that at the outset the instal binding plateis incorpora-ted With the other elements of thev cover which thenrl K n A yselves are flat, While the binding'plate is as to glue theni fast tothe inserted Anietal rounded, so that it is' impossible to run the unfinished cover through rollsl for squeezing its layers together; and difficulty also isie'Xperienced inV stacking the covers between boards to dry under pressure. The present invention enables the unfinished covers at two dierent stages of the manufacture, and prior to theapplication of the curved metal plate,

to be run through pressure rollers and to be stacked up fiat for drying. At the time the metal plate is inserted the composite portions of *the cover are thoroughly cemented and sufiiciently dry, and the only new adhesive whichy is applied is that which is put into direct contact with the metal plate. The present invent-ion thus saves considerable time and much laborin the construction of compositecovers of the, general type referred to, and accomplishes a great saving in storage space for thel stacking ofthe unfinished covers. The present invention makes an extremely durablel cover because its back is strengthened by the binding strip and the latter is'turned in'against the metal back f plate andV confinedbetween the two metal L plates.

In practicing thefinvention any suitable materialsmay be used. The outer covering a is commonly made of leather or some leather-like material or leather substitute, althoughfor cheaper covers a woven fabric may be substituted. The boards b .7) may be A'anyform of binders board, either stiff or flexible, according to the type of cover to be made. I paper. The'binding strip l is fbest made of The linings-cy are usually made of a. tough woven fabric having considerable strength.

The functionoof the liningsc is f Vralmost wholly ornamental,` and they might be omittedV if a neat finish were not desired.

' book cover which consists in coating the inner surface of an outerV covering with ad-` hesive, folding inwardly the longitudinal margins of a binding strip' 'to form side flaps and applying the middle portion of the binding strip to the back portion of the coated ,f covering, applying stiffening boards tothe side portions of the covering, then pressing the superposed `layers together until sufficiently dry, then opening out the folded iiaps of 4thebinding strip and inserting a back plate within such flaps and holding said flaps down on the plate.

2. vThe method of making a composite book cover which consists in coating the inner surface of an outer covering with adhesive, folding inwardly the longitudinal margins of a binding strip to form side flaps and applying the middle portion ofthe binding strip to the back portion of the coated covering,

Vapplying stiffening boards to the side por `tions of the covering and turning in the edge portions of the ycovering over the edges of the side boards, then pressing the superposed layers together until'sufliciently dry, then opening out'the folded fla-ps of the binding strip and insertinga back plate within such flaps` and folding said flaps down on the plate;i g f f f 3;'The method ofclaimil, with the addition of the applying of linings to the inner portions of the cover sides with an interposed coating of adhesive,said liningslapping over'onto theV in-folded side flaps of the binding strip. .4. lThe` method of claim 2, thei end margins of the binding'strip being secured to the adj'acentedge portions of the covering, said end margins and edge portions being folded inwardly together to form Va pair of end flaps, the back plate being then inserted beneath both end flaps and secured in place by adhesive.v y f 5. The method of claim 2, the end margins of the binding strip being secured to the ad jacent Iedge portions of the covering, said end margins and edge portions being folded kinwardly togethergto, form a pair of end flaps, one of said end flaps being slitted and then lifted, the back plate being then insert'- ed beneath both end flaps and secured in place by adhesive.

6. Themethod of claim 2, the corners of the bindingistrip being cut out to provide end tongues, said tongues being secured to the adjacent edge portions of the covering, vsaidy tongues and edge portions being folded inwardly together to forma 'pair of end flaps, one of said end flaps being slitted and then lifted, the back plate being then inserted beneath both end flaps and held in place by adhesive.

7. A book cover comprising an outer'covering fabric, stift'ening side boards cement-ed thereto, a binding strip having its longitudinal margins folded inwardly forming side flaps and its middle portion cemented to the middle back portion of the covering fabric,

the projecting edges ofthe latter foldedin Y around ythe edges of the side boards and overlying the ends of the binding strip, and a back plate overlying the middle portion ofV the binding strip and inserted under the foldg Y ed side flaps thereof.

8. A book cover comprising an outer covering fabric, stiffening side boards cemented thereto, a binding strip having its longitudinal margins folded inwardly forming side flaps and its middle portion cemented tothe middle back portion of the covering fabric, the projecting edges of the latter folded in around the Iedges of the side boards and (overlying the ends of the binding strip, and

folded side yflaps thereof and into pockets A, formed by thefinfolded ends of' said binding strip and covering fabric.

9. A book cover comprising an outer covering fabric, stiifening side boards cemented v my name.

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thereto', ai bindingzrst'riph'avigits longituf dinal. margins fold-'edi inwardly forming side fflajpsand its middle portion demented: tothe middle back portion of the covering fabric', y

the projecting edges of the latter' fol'dedl in around-l the` edges of the sideboardsand overlying the ends of the binding/strip, a, he'ckxplate overlying the middle portion `of the Alondng'strip, and linings adhesively secured over the stiiening, side boards and bindingy strip Yside flapsl and` Vinserted under the foldedside'flapsthereoi f Y In Witness whereof, If have hereunto signed V CLARENCE)Y D; -TRUSSELL 

